How to handle customer complaints
Checklist
- Actively encourage feedback from customers - including complaints if they are dissatisfied.
- Establish a clear complaints-handling procedure. Ensure that all employees who come into contact with customers understand it.
- Be polite and sympathetic. Listen to what the customer has to say.
- Take ownership of the complaint - give your name as a contact even if you will have to involve others in resolving the complaint.
- Establish the facts. Consider whether any internal investigation is needed to gather further information.
- Record the details of the complaint, including when it was made, customer name and contact details.
- If possible, deal with the complaint immediately - if necessary, agree a deadline for getting back to the customer.
- Carry out any necessary further investigations.
- If the complaint has potentially significant legal consequences, contact your legal adviser.
- If there is a long delay, keep the customer informed of progress.
- Once you have established that the complaint is justified, make appropriate restitution. Apologise for your error.
- Be prepared to reject unreasonable complaints or unreasonable demands, but in a positive way: explain what you can offer.
- If appropriate, take internal action to prevent the problem recurring for example, training staff or improving systems.
- Follow up by contacting the customer to check that the complaint has been resolved to their satisfaction.
Cardinal rules
Do:
- encourage feedback
- deal with complaints as quickly as possible
- address the underlying causes of problems
Don't:
- be defensive
- pass the buck
- make excuses
